CFA dismayed that governor’s May Revise plan for the 2017/18 State Budget offers California State University even less than his January planNEWS STATEMENT FROM CFA

May 11, 2017

The following statement may be attributed to California Faculty Association President Jennifer Eagan, a professor of Philosophy and Public Affairs & Administration at California State University, East Bay:

“We are deeply disappointed that Governor Jerry Brown did not propose to fund the California State University at the level requested by the CSU Trustees. In fact, his May Revise for the 2017/18 State Budget offers even less to the CSU than he proposed in his initial January plan.

Now, we call on members of the California State Legislature to step up and do what Governor Brown did not. They must ensure the 2017/18 State Budget funds the California State University by $325 million above the current year funding.

We are dismayed that the May Revise proposes to reduce $4 million from state funding to the CSU as a consequence of the Trustees ill-advised decision to raise tuition. If the legislature does not step up, damage will be done to our students this fall. This is because of the vote by the CSU Trustees to increase tuition if 2017/18 state funding falls short of their $325 million request.

We are well aware of the state audit finding that CSU management is rising faster in numbers and pay than are teachers and student service personnel. The California Faculty Association has been making this point for many years.

However, if that development is a factor in decisions about state funding for the CSU, let us disabuse the idea that less money will punish CSU management for spending too much on itself.

Rather, students and the faculty who teach them are the ones who will feel this loss. There will be fewer class offerings, fewer faculty to teach, and students will drop out.

Perhaps California forgets that we have a great public higher education system that we badly need to preserve. More than 475,000 California students rely on the public California State University system at 23 campuses from San Diego to Humboldt.

They need degrees, and Californians need an educated workforce to sustain our economy and our society in the years to come. We underfund state investment to public higher education at our peril.”

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SUMMARY OF MAY REVISE IN REGARD TO THE CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM

Reduce by $4 million the 2017/18 state funding proposed for the CSU.

Reduce future state funding increases for the CSU from 4% to 3%.

Give the CSU $2 million in additional money for transportation-related education, research and training based on Senate Bill 1.

STATUS DETAILS

The 2017/18 increase in state funding required by the CSU Trustees to rescind a 5% tuition hike on students this fall is $324.9 million.

The Governor May Revise budget plan for the coming fiscal year includes an increase of $155.2 million over this year’s state funding. Back in January, he had proposed $157.2 million.

Total state funding this year, in 2016/17, for the CSU is $3.5 billion. The increased funding will be added to that.

For more about a flash “song” protest by CSU students, faculty and advocates at the State Capitol when the May Revise was released by the governor, click here, or watch the action on CFA’s Facebook page.

ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA FACULTY ASSOCIATION: CFA represents the 28,000 tenure-line instructional faculty, lecturers who teach on temporary contracts, librarians, counselors, and coaches on the 23 campuses of the California State University system, from Humboldt State in the north to San Diego State in the south.